


An Unexpected Quest

by NeonDomino



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dean/Cas Tropefest 2017, M/M, deancastropefest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 11:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12034740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonDomino/pseuds/NeonDomino
Summary: Set in a medieval fantasy world. Omega Dean is sent on a quest by Gabriel to rescue his missing brother. Having to leave an injured Sam behind in the care of Gabriel, he sets out on his latest adventure. He didn’t expect the angel from the Kingdom of Heaven to save him from a trap and mark him. He never expected the Alpha angel to be his true mate.





	An Unexpected Quest

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DeanCas Tropefest 2017.  
> There will be artwork linked by Cenedra Riva.

  
  


Dean kept a close eye on his brother as they sat in the back of the carriage he had hired for the journey. The various spells the healer had used on Sam were only temporary and would wear off soon. Dean was beginning to see that for himself. Unfortunately, the healer wasn’t quite skilled enough to make Sam better, but could halt whatever was causing the life to drain from him until Dean got him to someone else. Word had it that there was a powerful healer in the Kingdom of Singer, which was where Dean and Sam were heading now.

 

It had been many years since they had been to the kingdom. The king had once been a close friend of their father’s when they had been just young boys themselves. All Dean and Sam knew was that there had been a massive falling out between John and Bobby and the pair had never spoken again. John hadn’t even returned to pay his respects on the day that Bobby was crowned as king. Dean never knew what it was about, only that he had missed the gruff older man whilst he had been growing up. And that there was a small part of him, though he would never admit it to anyone, that would have preferred that him and Sam had stayed in the castle with Bobby instead of going with their father.

 

Dean knew that he should have made an effort to return to the kingdom once their father had finally passed away, but they had never found the right time. It was hard to return to someone you remembered as a child. He wasn’t sure if Bobby would hold his grudge against John (whatever that was) against them too. He knew he couldn’t just turn up out of the blue because Bobby might not even see them. He could even turn them away.

 

But they needed his help now. They needed a strong healer and there were three in neighbouring kingdoms. He had made the choice to go to Bobby, because out of everyone, he trusted the man’s judgement and therefore would trust Bobby’s healer over anyone. Bobby would never turn away someone who was hurt, grudge or not. Dean was certain of it.

 

The carriage was warm as the sun beared down on it and Dean felt overly hot under his armour but he didn’t remove it. He needed to guard his brother until Sam was safely in the castle walls. He kept a watchful eye on Sam whilst watching outside of the carriage as it began to slow as it got closer to the kingdom, bringing water to Sam’s lips as much as possible to keep Sam from getting too hot.

 

The driver called back to them to let them know that they were close and Dean quickly knelt down next to his brother, pressing a hand to Sam’s forehead which was burning. “Hold on a little while, Sammy,” he said, his concerned gaze moving over Sam. “We’re almost there. We’ll get you fixed up and better than ever.” 

 

Sam gave the smallest of nods, his eyes clenched shut and sweat on his brow. Dean knew that the sweat wasn’t due to the heat and that it was due to the fever that was slowly starting to appear. Sam mumbled something but Dean couldn’t hear what he said. “Save your strength,” Dean insisted, knowing that Sam had very little left and that talking wasn’t worth the energy.

 

Sam’s skin was as pale as death and his body was shaking. If Dean hadn't already killed Ruby, he would do it all over again. Whatever curse that demon had put on Sam or poison she had given him, it was seeping the life from his brother. Dean unfortunately didn’t know enough about healing to help. He knew the basic potions but little more than that.

 

Had it not been for the previous healer's abilities, Sam would have already been dead. 

 

“Where do you need me to leave you?” the carriage driver asked, as they headed onto the road into town. “We’re in the main town where the castle is.”

 

“As close as you can to the castle gates,” Dean insisted urgently. “If you’re quick, I’ll give you an extra three gold pieces.”

 

He turned his attention back to his brother, hoping that Sammy could hold on. Dean was confident that his brother would survive. They had faced too much for one of them to be taken down by a demon. Sam was strong too. As an Alpha, he was able to hold on longer than anyone else. But the spells were wearing off.

 

Dean pushed a healing potion against Sam’s lips, hoping that it would help, even slightly.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean dragged Sam to the main doors of the castle, his brother barely able to stand upright. “I need to see the king now,” Dean demanded, his eyes on the nearest guard. The carriage had left the second Dean had paid the gold to the driver and the only thing standing between Dean and help were the guards.

 

He had come too far to be stopped now. Sam’s life depended on their entrance to that castle.

 

The guards looked between Sam and Dean and hesitated. “The king has closed the castle to visitors,” the closest guard said. “There is a healer on the north side of town. She will be able to assist you with--”

 

“We need the healer in the castle,” Dean insisted urgently, cutting the guard off and getting angry that the guards were wasting time. “We’re friends of King Robert. We’ve known him since we were children. How do you think he'll react when my brother--the son of his old friend dies at the doors of the castle? I'm sure he'll thank you for keeping us out and wasting precious time.”

 

The guard shifted nervously, considering his options. After a moment of thought, he turned to the other guard. “Summon the king. Find out if he has knowledge of these men and then we’ll go on the king’s orders. Bring the healer with you when you return.”

 

“Dean and Sam Winchester,” Dean added helpfully, his eyes darting between the pair as he devised a hasty plan. He couldn't see any other guards and took advantage of the first guard’s distraction as the second rushed inside.

 

Bobby would understand, Dean decided, as the guard slumped to the ground, unconscious. Bobby would see that they couldn't wait. That Sam needed help immediately.

 

Maybe the guard wouldn't be so understanding about Dean knocking him out, but Dean couldn't bring himself to care. After all, it was _Sam_. He’d do anything for his brother. Plus, the guard wouldn’t have let his guard down if Dean had been an Alpha. The man had assumed that Dean was no threat as an Omega and not watched him properly. He sent the other guard away. It was like he _wanted_ Dean to get past him.

 

Dean grabbed Sam again and began to pull him towards the main doors. No one came running and they walked through with ease. Dean hoped that no other guards would make an appearance. He couldn’t look after his brother _and_ fight.

 

Well, he could, but he didn’t want to waste time.

 

Thankfully he didn't encounter any. The next voice he heard was one that he hasn't heard in years. Though it was one he would never forget. It was one that made him smile for the first time since his brother got hurt.

 

“There you are, you idjits. About damn time you showed up.”

  
  


...oOo...

 

Dean turned around and spotted King Robert. “Bobby, is that you?” he asked, his eyes darting to the crown on the man’s head. The last time he had seen Bobby, Bobby had been the prince. He had been someone who hadn’t cared much for his position. It was strange to think of the man ruling a kingdom on his own.

 

“Who else would it be?” Bobby muttered, shaking his head at Dean. “Follow me. Let's get your brother upstairs to one of the bedrooms. I’d call Gabriel down to heal him, but Gabriel can be funny about his patients getting moved. It’s best to get Sam upstairs and into a bedroom.”

 

“Do we have time?” Dean asked, already dragging Sam towards the stairs.

 

“He’s still breathing, isn’t he?” Bobby pointed out. “Benny, can you help over here?”

 

One of the guards that had followed Bobby over, stepped forward and pulled Sam’s arm around his shoulder. The strong man began to help Dean up the stairs. Dean was shocked to find that he didn’t have to do much lifting of his heavy Alpha brother. He was certain that if Bobby had asked Benny to carry Sam alone, Benny could have managed it.

 

“Better be quick up them stairs,” Bobby said, following them up. “Gabriel is on his way out. He’ll stick around for a bit, to heal Sam, but he’s got something else happening and needs to leave quickly. He’s stubborn, but you’ll know all about stubborn.” Bobby’s gaze moved from Dean to Sam, and though his words were gruff, there was concern in his eyes.

 

“You may have a crown now, but you’re still the same old Bobby,” Dean chuckled. “Thank you.”

 

“Yeah, well, glad that you know you could come here when you need help. I was beginning to wonder if you’d completely forgotten me,” Bobby replied. “I’ll let the guards know to let you in next time. And believe me, there _will_ be a next time. You can stick around as long as you like.”

 

“Yessir,” Dean replied with a nod as they reached the top of the stairs. Dean wondered why there had to be so many damned stairs between floors of the castle. He didn’t remember this many stairs when he was younger.

 

They reached the room quickly and Dean eyed the Omega that was pacing impatiently. “It’s about time,” he muttered.

 

“Sorry, Gabriel,” Benny said, lifting Sam onto the bed as though Sam weighed nothing. Gabriel sighed, glancing at the patient, before taking a deep breath.

 

The frown quickly disappeared. “What happened?” Gabriel asked, his gaze greedily moving over the tall Alpha. He walked around him, pushing Dean out of the way in the process. “I can’t work with you in the way.”

 

Dean glared at the Omega for the shove, but there were more important things than getting into an argument with the man about to heal his brother.

 

“He was attacked by a demon,” Dean admitted, glancing guiltily at Bobby. Bobby had been the one to teach them everything they knew about demons as children. It was different to the blind hatred that John showed towards demons after one killed their mother. “Her name was Ruby. We knew she was a demon but she was… convincing. There were times where she almost had me fooled.”

 

“Why didn’t you send her away?” Bobby asked. “Didn’t I teach you anything when I used to see you?”

 

“I tried,” Dean insisted. “Sammy was under her spell. He said that if she left, he’d go with her and I couldn’t let that happen. I had to let her stay with us. At least I could keep an eye on her that way. I knew she was up to something but never considered that she could be an assassin that was trying to kill us.”

 

“Where is she now?” Bobby demanded gruffly, though Dean was certain that the man had a protective edge to his voice, his eyes darting to Sam once more.

 

“Dead,” Dean said simply, leaving out the details. “I would have made her suffer more but there was no time to waste. It was clear that she had no intention to tell us anything, so I didn’t waste my time asking questions. Sam was my priority and getting him help. Ruby was much too dangerous to let live.”

 

Bobby nodded in agreement and they both turned their attention to Sam when he let out a pained groan. Dean was relieved to see that Sam’s breathing had regulated and his skin had regained some of its colour. He looked less sweaty. He looked more alive.

 

It was clear that Gabriel knew what he was doing. Dean felt the panic that had been taking him over start to subside. Sam was going to live. Though he knew that his brother was stronger than most Alphas he had met, it was also _Sammy_ and his little brother and Dean couldn’t help but worry that something would go wrong. Things rarely went right after all.

 

Even though he had been telling himself Sammy would be alright, deep down, Dean had feared that his brother would die that day. Dean couldn’t lose Sammy - the only person he had left in his life. The only family that remained.

 

Well, except Bobby who had welcomed the pair back with open arms.

 

Dean pushed away the mushy thoughts. He was a Winchester and didn’t do those sort of thoughts. Instead, he turned his attention to the guards in the room, sizing them up. His brother was in a vulnerable position after all and he needed to know the guards were trustworthy.

 

Bobby followed his gaze. “My own chosen guards,” he muttered. “You won’t get any trouble with them.”

 

Dean nodded his head. He had always trusted Bobby when he was growing up and that was why he had chosen Bobby’s kingdom over the others. Because he trusted Bobby’s judgement.

 

“Same with Gabriel. He likes to play tricks, but he’s the best healer I’ve ever met. Helped each other out a few times. I know I can trust him at least. Even if he is a pain in the ass.”

 

“There’s no need to be like that, Kingy,” Gabriel said, flashing Bobby a wide smile which Bobby did not return. “This wasn’t too hard to figure out once I knew it was a demon. You know we’re experts on healing demon wounds. The demon wasn’t all that creative. She used one of the more obvious spells and a poison for good measure.” He rested his hands against Sam’s chest, allowing a white light to travel from one body to the next. “I have antidotes downstairs, but some of my own style of healing will work well too. Maybe top him up with antidotes too. I’ve gotten rid of the spell effects at least.”

 

“So all that’s left is the poison?” Dean checked, wanting to make sure that things were clear.

 

“Quick, aren’t you?” the man asked sarcastically.

 

Bobby snorted. “Let’s just find out why it took your brother almost dying before you turned up again?” he asked, changing the subject before Dean could start arguing with Gabriel. “All grown up now, aren’t you? I’d ask what you’re doing with yourselves but I’ve heard the stories. It’d be impossible not to hear. I can’t help but be proud every time someone passes through with a new tale or a bard has a new song about one of you. I like the songs, though I’m not a fan of the bards themselves.”

 

“I hear you,” Dean agreed with a nod. “Though I think Sammy likes them, even if he won’t admit it.” His smile faded and he sighed. “You know I’m sorry,, Bobby,” he said. “We both are. When our dad died, we did say we’d come here… we’ve been meaning to do it, but… we should have made time. It’s just…”

 

“You weren’t sure if you were welcome?” Bobby guessed.

 

At Dean’s nod, Bobby sighed. “My quarrel wasn’t with you boys, it was with John,” he insisted. “You two are always welcome here. In fact, there’s a house in town. Just emptied the other day. Not mine to give away, but I’m sure an agreement can be made on it. That’s if you want to stick around. It’d be nice to have you boys close, plus, you can’t just go around fighting monsters and living out of taverns. That was John, not you both.”

 

Dean thought it over. “I’ll wait until Sam recovers,” he decided. “I don’t like making choices without him. It might be nice though to have somewhere to come home to after a mission. That’s all we know.”

 

Bobby smiled. “You live out on the roads and in taverns and inns. You forget what it’s like to have a stable home. You should have some memories of a home like that. Sam wouldn’t have any. Think back to before. But we’ll talk about everything when your brother is awake.”

 

“He’s stable,” Gabriel said, leaving Sam and walking over to them. “I can’t stay much longer so here’s the antidote. You’ll have to administer it yourselves three times a day. There’s also an ointment for the area that the spell hit. Nasty wound but it won’t be there for long. I’ve healed all of the internal injuries. If he gets sick again, you need to—”

 

“Wait!” Dean frowned at Gabriel. “Are you really telling me that my brother could get sick again and you’re not going to help him?”

 

“I’ve got my own mission to do,” Gabriel insisted. Dean didn’t miss the guilty look Gabriel gave Sam’s unconscious body on the bed behind him. It was a look that Dean had no interest in thinking about.

 

“You can’t do that,” Dean insisted.

 

“I think you’ll find that I can,” Gabriel replied with a shrug. “I don’t actually work for you and I have more important things happening right now.”

 

“Yeah? Something more important than saving my brother’s life?” Dean snapped.

 

“A little bit,” the healer said, holding his fingers up, with a tiny gap between them. “I have to go and find my own brother and make sure _he_ doesn’t die.”

 

“Gabriel, Castiel is missing?” Bobby asked urgently. “You never said.”

 

“Never had a chance, Kingy,” Gabriel told him with a shrug of his shoulders. “I was just about to leave as you know, and I got your urgent summons about this patient. I thought that I should stick around and help him. After all, it’s what I do second best.”

 

“What do you do first best?” Dean found himself asking. There was a groan from one of the guards as Gabriel turned his attention back to Dean with a wide grin that scared Dean a little bit.

 

Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows. “Sorry. You’re not going to find that out firsthand. Now, your brother on the other hand… I’ll show _him_ what I’m best at.” He winked and turned to look at Sam again. “I’d better be off now,” 

 

His tone betrayed him and Dean jumped on the reluctance the healer was showing.

 

“Don’t leave him,” Dean insisted. “Why don’t you stay here and look after my brother. You can make sure he gets better. Make sure he doesn’t die. If you do this, I’ll go and find yours for you.”

 

“You?” Gabriel scoffed in disbelief. “What could you really do to find my brother?”

 

“You’ve heard of the Winchester brothers, haven’t you, Gabriel?” Bobby asked. “If anyone can bring Castiel back, it’s Dean.”

 

“And yet I find myself extremely underwhelmed.” Gabriel sighed, giving Dean a look that said exactly that. “I mean, you have Samsquatch here who was almost killed by a demon and Deano who couldn’t even heal him. Not quite as impressive as the tales I’ve heard in stories and songs.” His eyes darted to Sam once more as though he couldn’t bear to look away from the Alpha for more than a few seconds. “It makes me wonder if the stories about Sam are true. About him being a beast in bed. If the others are underwhelming, am I going to be disappointed when he wakes up?”

 

Dean looked at Bobby for direction on how to handle Gabriel. but Bobby just rolled his eyes at Gabriel. “Idjit,” he muttered, shaking his head. Dean got the impression that Bobby muttered that word a lot around the healer. He was certain that Gabriel gave him a lot of reason to.

 

“Okay,” Gabriel said, after a few moments of thinking. “I’ll give him a chance. If he goes and gets himself killed, it won’t be my fault. I won’t feel any guilt if that happens.”

 

“Can you even feel guilt?” Benny muttered from by the door.

 

Gabriel beamed at him. “I can, I just choose not to,” he replied. “But in Deano’s case, it’s complicated.” He turned back to Dean, the amusement fading from his face. “Bring back my brother,” he said. “Or I’ll leave yours here whilst I go and search for Castiel myself.”

 

“Deal,” Dean said firmly. He turned to look at Bobby. “I’ll leave immediately.”

 

“At least get some food inside ya,” Bobby insisted. “Have a hot meal and Gabriel can tell you where you’ll be going. I’ll give you information ‘bout the place once I know where it is.”

 

Dean nodded reluctantly. He wanted to get going so he could return sooner and check on Sam, but a meal was tempting. He hadn’t had a good meal in a couple of days. The prospect of going on his next quest with a full stomach was too good to pass up.

 

“A quick one,” he said. He nodded to Gabriel, who turned his attention back to Sam. Dean didn’t want to consider what the soft look on his face meant. He’d have to address that when he was back, but he didn’t want anything weighing on his mind whilst he was away.

 

Two guards followed him and Bobby, and Dean turned to look at them. They were an Alpha and a Beta, causing Dean to straighten up a bit and walk taller. “I’ve not seen any Omega guards,” he said, turning his attention back to Bobby.

  
  


“I’ve got no problems with Omegas,” Bobby clarified gruffly. “None have proven themselves enough to be guards. I make sure that everyone is treated the same.”

 

“None at all?”

 

“None. The Omegas expect leniency when training. Anyone attacking won’t offer them leniency because of their designation and I can’t afford to have anyone but the best. If you find me an Omega as skilled as the guards I have, I’d happily let them work here.” He raised his eyebrows at Dean. “Any chance I can convince you to work here?”

  
  


Dean laughed and shook his head. “You know me. Can’t stick around in one place too long.”

 

“I knew your dad and that’s what he lived by. You’re not your father.”

 

“If I was, you wouldn’t have helped me.”

 

“If John Winchester turned up at my castle without warning, with someone who needed my help, I’d have helped. John wouldn’t be allowed into my home. He’d be left waiting at the gates. I’d never turn away someone who is hurt.”

 

“At the gates?”

 

Bobby nodded. He held up his hand to tell his guards to drop back. “That’s right. A man like him doesn’t deserve to set foot in my kingdom.”

 

Dean stopped Bobby and turned to face him. “Why do you hate him so much? What happened?”

 

Bobby raised his eyebrows. “Thought you knew,” he said. “Dean, maybe this isn’t—”

 

“Tell me,” Dean ordered.

 

Bobby took a deep breath. “Some kingdoms treat their Omegas differently to ours. You know that better than I do, I suppose, with all your travelling. In Singer, we treat them the same… your father was from a kingdom that didn’t treat them too well. Set in his ways, I suppose. He was back in town when you went into heat for the first time. I gave him rooms in the castle. The tavern wasn’t the place for an Omega to be in heat. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

 

“I remember,” Dean said, watching Bobby closely.

 

“Your father was expecting an Alpha son. He didn’t even consider you’d be anything but. He also thought Sam would be a Beta. He was wrong on both counts.” Bobby paused, hesitating. “Then there you were, an Omega. He wasn’t pleased.”

 

“Yeah, I worked that out pretty quick, I was a disappointment to him.”

 

“Your secondary gender was. John didn’t understand that Omegas weren’t weak. He laughed about it, towards the end of your heat. He had too much to drink and asked me to marry you off to someone here. Was trying to sell you.”

 

“He… what?” Dean’s eyes widened in horror. His father had been cruel, sure, but trying to sell him off to the highest bidder...

 

“I agreed. I—”

 

“Now wait a minute. I’m not marrying anyone,” Dean snapped.

 

Bobby shook his head. “And I don’t intend you to do so,” he replied. “I gave John that money so he wouldn’t walk out of here and sell you on to someone else. I’ve got a contract he signed and I’m going to hand it over to you to rip up. I thought if I turned the offer down, he’d go to another town and make someone else the same offer. I didn’t like the idea of where you’d end up.”

 

“And that’s why you’ve not spoken to him for so long?”

 

“I told your father that I wanted you both here,” Bobby continued. “Thought it’d be good for you and Sam to be away from him. I knew he’d look down on you. You’d do better growing up in the castle. Him leaving you both in taverns whilst he took jobs to hunt creatures and clear ruins and such, was one thing. Him taking you both in with him was another. It was only a matter of time.”

 

“How’d you know?”

 

“After your heat, he asked for me to get you training in fighting. Then he disappeared. He was gone for over a month and I thought he was leaving you here. Then he came back for you both. I was angry. Almost had him locked away but realised that I couldn’t do that. You boys loved him and I don’t think you’d have forgiven me if I let him rot in a cell.”

 

Dean was quiet as they started walking again. “I enjoyed that month here,” he admitted. “Made some friends.” He didn’t comment on the fact that he would have preferred to stay at the castle. “Sam loved it too. But there’s something else. You’re holding back.”

 

Bobby sighed. “I can’t get anything past ya,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Dean, I planned to name you my heir. I don’t have children and you boys were as good as… when yer father came back, I told him what I planned and he was against it. Said that I should name Sam instead. I insisted on you. I don’t care about your Omega status after all. He didn’t like the idea of an Omega ruling any kingdom. An hour later, you were all gone.”

 

“Maybe he was right—”

 

“Are you arguing with your king, boy?” Bobby asked, frowning at him. With another sigh, he changed the subject. “If you want to stay now, you’re more than welcome. There’s space in the Kingdom for you. Houses to choose from. Jobs to take. I’m still looking for an heir...”

 

“I can’t talk about it until Sammy wakes up,” Dean replied. “We’ll see what Sammy wants to do.”

 

Bobby smiled and the pair walked into the dining hall and sat down at the table. “Eat as much as you want. We don’t need to wait on anyone else today.”

 

Dean reached for the food on the table, filling his plate, before turning to Bobby. “And the contract…”

 

“I kept a hold on it. I didn’t trust John. When you’ve done this mission, I’ll have it ready for you to take back.”

 

“I pay my debts,” Dean insisted. “How much did you give him? I’ll pay you for it.”

 

“I don’t want your money, boy,” Bobby insisted gruffly. “I’ve got enough as it is.” He sighed, looking at Dean’s face. “Castiel Novak is very important. You bring him back and consider that payment.”

 

“I was already—”

 

“And if his brother came to me, I’d be offering other men the reward for finding him,” Bobby explained. “Though if you’re dead set on paying back, I shouldn’t complain. It’d mean you’ll have to stick around the kingdom for a while. I’ll be able to keep an eye on you and make sure you stay out of trouble.”

 

Dean laughed and turned to the food. All he could think about was how things would have been much different if they had been left to stay. He would have been given titles. Gold. He wouldn’t ever have to worry about Sam.

 

Maybe Sam could be Bobby’s heir? The safest place to keep his brother was in the castle.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean moved away from the table when Bobby had finished. He wanted to get back to Gabriel and find out more information so he could get going. 

 

He trusted Gabriel because he trusted Bobby, but it wasn’t the same as looking after Sam himself. Though he needed Gabriel more.

 

Once they had returned to the rooms, Gabriel explained where the ruins were and Bobby told Dean about a nearby town with a tavern called the Roadhouse. He was given directions and a pack with some food and water and Gabriel escorted Dean to the stables before heading back inside.

 

“Are you taking a horse?” one of the guards asked.

 

Dean hesitated before nodding his head. He didn’t want to admit to the Alpha and Beta that he was terrified of the large beasts, but it made sense to take one. He’d get to Castiel sooner and therefore do his job and get back quickly.

 

“Would you like some assistance?” the guard continued, his eyes roving over Dean as though he couldn’t believe a weak Omega could do the task. Dean bristled at the look and when the guard’s eyes moved to his, Dean stared him out. 

 

The treatment of the Alphas came with being an Omega, even in a kingdom that was more accepting. Even so, Alphas and Betas assumed that Omegas couldn’t do the same things as them and would argue, thinking they were always right.

 

The guard gave a slight nod and Dean turned, satisfied. He patted his sides, checking the weapons that were there before looking at the horses. He walked over to the stablehand.

 

“I’m to take a horse. Which would you suggest?” Dean asked, sure that the stable hand would have the best knowledge.

 

The man smiled at him warmly and Dean felt more comfortable at the sight of another Omega. “You’re lucky. These are the finest horses in the kingdom,” the stablehand said. “The king said you could take one?”

 

“He did. I’m Dean Winchester.”

 

The man grabbed him into a hug. “Nice to meet you Dean, I’m Garth.”

 

Dean awkwardly untangled himself from the man’s grip and smiled at him. “Good to meet you,” he replied.

 

Garth led the way through the stables. “A few of these are owned by knights. One is Gabe’s horse. Castiel’s horse is here too. There are a couple that aren’t owned. If you’re sticking around, perhaps you’d like to pick one of those. You know, riders and horses build a bond.”

 

“I’ll take one of those, but I doubt I’ll be using it much,” Dean replied, looking at the first horse they stopped at. He didn’t know what he was looking for in the horses, but the black stallion didn’t seem right. He moved to the next stable.

 

“She’s new,” Garth offered. Dean looked at the horse. She looked friendly and calm. “Is she fast?”

 

“Very, she’s an Impala and about two years old now. She’s—”

 

“She’ll do.”

 

“Do you want to see the other two?”

 

Dean shook his head. “I just want to head off.”

 

“Give me a few minutes. I’ll get her saddled and ready for you,” Garth insisted.

 

Dean nodded his head. “Thank you.”

 

...oOo...

 

Dean felt more confident on the horse the longer he rode it. He only had twelve miles to go and wanted to get to the tavern before nightfall if possible. He didn’t want to travel during the night. 

 

He thought about the mission Gabriel had given him and determined that it was an easy one compared to some of the ones he had been on. There were no people to fight or beasts to kill. Just any ogres or trolls that crossed his path on the road. His only job was to retrieve a missing Omega. Plus, the others had faith in the man’s abilities so Dean was confident he’d find him alive.

 

People tended to underestimate Omegas.

 

Well, Dean assumed he was an Omega. No one had actually said it, but from what Gabriel had told him about ‘Cassie’, Dean made the obvious assumption himself. 

 

Dean decided that the best thing to do would be find the tavern first. He could leave the horse there and get his bearings and maybe even find out if there were any surprises about the ruins that he should know about. It didn’t hurt to be safe. It made things easier.

 

As he approached the small town, his thoughts returned to Bobby’s offer. If Sam didn’t want them to stay at the castle, they could just get a house in town and he was certain there would be jobs that Bobby would be able to send them on. After all, there was the rising demon disturbances, creatures causing citizens trouble and the more common threat such as bandits and criminals. He wouldn’t push Sam to stay, but he hoped more than anything that Sam would agree.

 

It would be nice to settle down once more in their own home. He only had a couple of memories of that from years ago, before they lost their home. Some of his best memories.

  
  


Dean shook his head. He didn’t want to start daydreaming about a settled life. He had a mission to do first, he had a brother who needed to heal. Dean was used to the ruins strewn about, having been in a few already, so he wasn’t overly concerned with the ones he was going to visit. Instead, he found himself wondering about Castiel.

 

He hoped that Castiel wasn’t like other Omegas he had encountered on his travels. Though there were a few like him, not afraid to pick up a sword and fight, others were the ones that enforced the bad reputation that had been bestowed on Omegas over the centuries. These Omegas either thought they could fight but fainted at the sight of blood, or they were pampered and scared of doing anything at all. Dean didn’t have time for Omegas like that. 

 

But Castiel had gone into the ruins himself so perhaps he wasn’t one of the latter Omegas. Hopefully he was someone who could defend himself and handle a weapon or magic of some kind.

 

Dean hated being responsible for other people because he tended to blame himself if something happened or someone got hurt. He would overthink everything that had happened and wonder what he could have done to avoid it. He was already drowning in guilt over what had happened to Sam. No doubt everyone back at  the castle could taste the guilt that had rolled off him in waves. Though Dean was usually good at hiding these types of emotions from his scent, when it came to Sam, he struggled.

 

He stopped at the small stable on the edge of town, intending to leave the horse there. He didn’t want to take it to the ruins because who knew what creatures lurked outside of it. Plus, the ruins were only three miles from town. He could walk three miles.

 

He handed over a piece of gold for the horse’s stay for the night before walking through the town, looking around. Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, he began asking around about the ruins.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean was disappointed as he walked into the tavern. His father taught him to find out all he could about a job like this before taking it on. He had a few details from Gabriel and Bobby, but that wasn’t enough.

 

He didn’t want to let anyone down. He had done enough of that when he had travelled with his father. There was a constant need to prove himself - to show that he was capable of doing anything an Alpha could do, even though he knew he didn’t need to do it.

 

He forced the thought from his mind with some difficulty. Years of growing up as the Omega son of John Winchester left him feeling worthless about himself. That was how John viewed him and that’s how Dean felt after the years of his father’s disappointment. With Sammy, he had always felt better because his brother didn’t treat him like he was merely a weak Omega who needed to be kept as far away from the fighting as possible. Sam never acted like Dean couldn’t do something because he was an Omega. Sam treated Dean the same way he treated everyone else he cared about. Well, maybe a little better since they were brothers.

 

And on the worst days, it would be Sam reminding Dean that he had proven that Omegas weren’t like the stereotype. He reminded Dean that he was strong and could do everything an Alpha could do.

 

“New to town?”

 

Dean nodded, his gaze on the Alpha in the tavern. He headed over, requesting an ale. It was promptly put in front of him.

 

“I don’t suppose you could tell me anything about the ruins a few miles west from here?” Dean asked. “I haven’t had much luck getting information on them.”

 

The woman leaned on the bar, glancing Dean over. Dean straightened up, not wanting to be judged by the woman, but there was no malice in her face, just curiosity. “So many people are interested in those ruins the last few days.”

 

“So many? Not just one?”

 

“Four. Well, two were curious children wanting to know more. A man and woman both passed through. Charlie is in her room so she hasn’t gone there yet though.”

 

Dean nodded. “I want to know about the man.”

 

The woman grinned. “He was here about two days ago. He bought supplies to last for a week so I reckon he was sticking around for a while in there. He was asking questions and… he had a way about him. Blunt and to the point. I think he unintentionally riled up some of the townsfolk.”

 

“Did he rile you up?”

 

“I like people who get straight to the point,” the barkeep replied. “Name’s Ellen.”

 

“Dean Winchester.”

 

Ellen raised her eyebrows. “The bard was singing songs about you only an hour ago,” she replied. “Though that’s not how I know your name. I should have known it was you, Dean. You look a lot like your father. You have that ‘Winchester’ look about you. I’ll have your room sorted out soon enough, but we have some catching up to do.”

 

“You knew my dad?” Dean asked, uncertain as to who the woman even was.

 

Ellen snorted. “I reckon he hasn’t told you about me.”

 

“Were you and him…”

 

Ellen shook her head. “I was happily married when we met John Winchester. Wonderful first impression. Terrible last impression.” She looked Dean over. “He never mentioned you were an Omega. I was expecting to one day meet Alpha Dean Winchester. Though I’m just happy to meet you at all. Omega, Beta or Alpha - doesn’t matter at all to me. You’re Dean and I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this moment.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Dean offered.

 

“Ellen,” she replied. “None of this ma’am business. It’s been years since a Winchester set foot into the Roadhouse. Let me take a look at you.” She glanced him over and took a small sniff. “Unmated. You don’t smell like Bobby all that much so you haven’t been at his castle for long either. You tell Bobby to get his sorry arse down here.”

 

“You said my father mentioned me. What did he tell you?” Dean asked, unable to stop himself. He hated how needy he was to find out his father had uttered a nice word about him.

 

Ellen turned her attention to the table for a moment.

 

“I won’t lie to you, Dean. He told me you were a good fighter, but he led me to believe that you were both Alphas, you and your brother. I think in his own way, when he overlooked you being an Omega, he was proud of ya. Always wondered if I’d get to meet you.”

 

“Thanks,” Dean muttered not sure if the truth was better or worse. “The ruins? I’m heading there to find someone from the castle—”

 

“No one’s made it through to tell us what lays in the last rooms. Either they run back or they don’t return. We’ve heard all sorts of stories but walking bones is the most consistent. I believe that’s what you’ll be facing. They don’t venture anywhere near town so I haven’t heard or seen them myself but I can tell you that people come back so scared that I know it’s the truth in their words.”

 

“How comes the town won’t talk about the ruins?”

 

“The town have developed their own stories for he ruins. Some think it’s bad luck to talk about them. Some worship them.” Ellen gave a small shrug. “Some don’t trust strangers.”

 

“But you do?”

 

“I see many people come through here, Dean. I’ve got a good idea on which ones I can trust. For the record, I trust you.”

 

“Do you think… Castiel could still be alive?”

 

“I don’t doubt it for a moment,” Ellen said, before standing up. “Your room will be ready when you get back. It’s pretty full in here. You may have to double up.”

 

Dean nodded. “No problem,” he replied. “Thanks for the information and I’ll see you again soon. And the stables here?”

 

“Good at their jobs,” Ellen said. Dean turned and left with a smile in her direction.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean didn’t have a use for his sword. He walked through the ruins and found himself following a trail of dead bodies. Well, they had already been dead so they were double-dead bodies, in his opinion. The further he walked, the more suspicious Dean felt. It was strange for there to be _nothing_ coming after him. Even in cleared out ruins and caves, there was always _something_ lurking.

 

The ruins were a sight to behold. High ceilings and lots of stairs as they led further and further into the earth. The structure itself had jewels encrusted into it and Dean was certain that some bits of the floor even contained gold. There were pillars that would have been amazing to see if they hadn’t been crumbling under his very touch.

 

When the ruins were used, before they fell to disrepair and the other races died out, the ruins would have been beautiful. They still were, but Dean knew that what he was seeing now didn’t even compare.

 

He was further into the ruins than most people got. There were still precious stones in the wall that hadn’t been prised out like they had when he had first stepped through the heavy doors. He was more wary now because whatever had made its way through the ruins and killed all of the creatures was most likely still in the ruins. 

 

Dean had no guarantee that it was Castiel. He had checked carefully as he walked, looking for bodies that weren’t undead creatures. There were only old ones that had rotted away. Some were just bones.

 

Another set of stairs and Dean began to slowly move down them. He was three quarters of the way down when he heard footsteps. He stilled and listened carefully. He could see that downstairs was lit up with torches, but he couldn’t see any shadows reflected. 

 

There was a chance that it was Castiel down there, but also there was a chance that it was someone else and Dean wasn’t going to take the risk. He was going to move carefully. There could be more creatures down there and he intended to use the element of surprise.

 

He made no sound on the stone steps and finally reached the bottom. He listened again but couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore. He breathed as quietly as possible, wondering if who or whatever was in the room had heard him, but after a minute the footsteps started again and Dean established that the person was pacing back and forth.

 

It didn’t help him distinguish. Someone could be pacing, trying to work something out. Or a creature like those upstairs could be walking back and forth, watching for someone to attack. The walking skeletons weren’t very bright after all and wouldn’t think of leaving the room unless they heard or saw something that gave them reason to.

 

Dean slipped off the bottom stair as silently as possible and moved against the wall, hoping to get a peek into the room. He found himself relieved that the door was half closed over, making it easier to pass by undetected. The pacing continued and Dean stopped on the other side of the doorway.

 

He took a deep breath and was hit by an intoxicating scent. It was overpowering and perfect. Dean could smell the rain. He could smell the outdoors and an underlying scent of honey.

 

The smells made him want to go into the room but he resisted. Just because the smells were absolutely perfect, it was no reason to go rushing into something that could be danger.

 

He lifted his head slightly, taking another breath, trying to determine if that was the only scent or if there were others.

 

It was all he could smell. There weren’t even any old scents. Only one person had made it this far into the ruins and Dean wasn’t sure what to do. The scene from the room wasn’t that of an Omega after all. He breathed in once more to be sure. No. Definitely an Alpha.

 

Maybe Castiel had already left? Maybe he was back in the kingdom already? Dean hoped as much. He hadn’t seen anything but skeletons and he could only smell one Alpha downstairs so it meant that Castiel wasn’t there.

 

Dean slipped away from the door, deciding to check out the other room before dealing with the possible threat in the room. He moved to the large door and stepped inside of the main chamber. He hoped it was the last room and that there weren’t passages or doors leading from it. He just wanted the mission to be over so he could get to Sam.

 

As he moved inside, the pacing in the first room stopped. Dean didn’t hear the creak of the door behind him.

 

...oOo...

 

Something felt off to Dean after he took his first step. There was something bad going on; something was wrong with the room. He glanced around carefully as he took another step.

 

“No! Stop!”

 

It was too late. Dean spun around to see who had shouted, pulling his sword from its sheath and holding it up. He couldn’t see who had shouted. A black circle of smoke surrounded him and it was too thick to see through. He glanced down at the smoke that was twisting around his ankles, and noticed that below him stood a devil’s trap.

 

He knelt down to look closer. It wasn’t a devil's trap. The symbols were extremely different. It was a similar style though and Dean couldn’t stop staring at it. The ground seemed to scorch underneath it and Dean was tempted to have a better look.

  
  


Through the smoke, he was sure he could hear someone shouting or calling to him, but couldn’t make out the words that the Alpha who had run from the next room was saying. The smoke stopped him seeing anything at all.

 

Dean stepped towards the door, but the smoke pulled him back into the centre and held him in place. Dean reached out to the smoke, but let out a small grunt of pain as the smoke surrounding the circle seemed to burn at his skin, leaving his fingers red and sore.

 

He was stuck.

 

Dean glanced at the floor again, before reaching into the bag with his supplies and pulling out a bit of parchment and some charcoal. He quickly began to draw an image of the trap that had him. It would be useful in the future, he decided. He drew a little bit each time there was a flash of almost blinding white against the black smoke. The light was useful, illuminating the markings for him.

 

He had just finished the sketch when he felt it. His body shuddered as something cold ran over him. The smoke that had been lapping at his heels was rising and swirling around him and Dean could feel it seeping into his body, starting with his feet. He shoved the drawing away and reached for the walls again, trying to find a way out.

 

But each time he touched it, his fingers burned. He fought, trying to push his hands into it, hoping to push the smoke away somehow, but it held as strong as an actual wall. Dean couldn’t find a way through.

 

The wall of smoke lit up white once more, just for a moment. Dean’s fingers were on it and the burning stopped for that moment.

 

As quickly as it came, it went again and the smoke continued to twist around Dean. He could feel the darkness crawling up his skin and the seductive whispers of dark deeds filling his head.

 

“No,” he growled at the voices, throwing himself at the wall with all his might. He felt only pain and the walls continued to flash between black and white, but he didn’t make a difference in his attempts.

 

He realised that he needed a different approach. He fell to the floor, the smoke making it hard to see in front of his face, and took a knife out. He began to cut at the floor, trying to break the trap that was holding him. He scratched away but to no avail. He couldn’t do it quick enough and the smoke was surrounding him and soaking into every inch of his skin. He kept trying to fight but it wasn’t working and the darkness whispered to just let it take him over.

 

Dean cursed himself for falling into the trap. Sam would never let him live this down. He was always telling Sam to be careful and to watch out for any sorts of traps. He hadn’t meant these ones because he didn’t know there were any that could hold humans, but he had gone against his own advice and not checked thoroughly before walking.

 

The smoke stopped burning his skin and Dean took that as a bad sign. He fought again, throwing himself at the wall. It flashed a blinding white and Dean could barely see. In his shocked state, a hand reached through the white smoke and grabbed him tightly, pulling him through.

 

Dean felt like he had been dragged through a very thin tube and fell to his knees on the other side, gasping for breath.

 

His arm felt like it was on fire and he couldn’t breathe due to the scent returning.

 

“We do not have much time. Destroying the circle means that this whole place is going to fall apart.” The man rushed past Dean and into the room and Dean tried to get to his feet. Whoever it was, was going to get stuck in the same trap.

 

He fell back down when the man passed through without trouble and collected something on the other side of the room. It only took a minute and the Alpha returned.

 

“This place will fall apart at any moment. We must leave.”

 

“We can’t. I’ve been sent to find Castiel,” Dean murmured, trying to get up. The Alpha offered him a hand and Dean accepted it gratefully. The touch burnt his skin and he pulled back with a gasp. It didn’t feel like it had on his arm, but it was the same pain that the black smoke had caused on his fingers.

 

“What did you do to me? Who are you?” Dean demanded.

  
  


“I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition,” the man told him.

 

“Yeah? Thanks for that,” Dean replied. He stumbled to his feet and stared at the man. His eyes widened as he realised that this was the person Gabriel described to him. “Castiel?”

 

The man nodded.

 

“I’m Dean Winchester. I’ve been sent to find you. Your brother is worried.” He breathed in, taking in the scent of Alpha. “I thought you were an Omega. The way he talked…”

 

“Gabriel,” Castiel murmured. He fixed Dean with a concerned stare. “There’s darkness still in you. It’s mixing into your scent. I couldn’t get through the barrier as quickly as I’d have liked. How do you feel?”

 

“Terrible. How do we remove it?”

 

“We can get you to my brother, but the darkness will slowly spread and there may not be time.” He considered his options for a moment before reaching out and placing his fingers to Dean’s temple.

 

The touch made Dean gasp and he quickly controlled himself. He couldn’t act that way around an Alpha. He couldn’t appear to have a weakness. Castiel didn’t react to Dean. He just watched him.

 

Dean wanted to look away. Castiel’s gaze was intense, but he found that he couldn’t. “What are you doing?” he asked instead.

 

“Taking the darkness,” Castiel replied. “It would be quicker with a kiss but I’ve been informed that humans don’t appreciate being kissed so quickly.”

 

Dean bit back any comments that his brain was insisting that he make. He was _not_ going to tell this stranger that he was fine with kissing. “Can you handle the darkness until we get to your brother?”

 

“I can get rid of it,” Castiel explained. “Darkness can’t stay within me.”

 

“What are you?”

 

“An Angel,” Castiel confirmed. “My body will rid itself of the darkness but it’ll leave me weak. I trust that you’ll be able to get us out. This place is going to come down on us at any moment so I suggest we get moving.”

 

Dean nodded his head. “I can do that,” he said. He slipped an arm around Castiel’s waist and Castiel’s arm went over his shoulders. He began to lead the way up the stairs, curious as to why Castiel rushed into the room that had trapped him. What had he been in there to retrieve?

 

“Why were you down here?” he asked, eyeing the crumbling wall they were passing and quickening his step.

 

“To retrieve the tablet. That trap was meant to weaken me so I would fail on my return up to the surface. If I went through it, I’d soak up all the darkness and wouldn’t be able to even touch the tablet. I was waiting, trying to work out how long it would take me to expel the darkness enough to get the tablet and leave. You arrived before I could determine the timeframe.”

 

“What does it do?” Dean asked, curiously.

 

“I believe that there is information on this one that’ll close the borders of hell. It’ll suck the demons into that kingdom and they won’t be able to leave again.”

 

Dean pulled Castiel out of the way as a piece of the ceiling fell nearby. He didn’t want to think too much about the tablet whilst getting out. He wanted to keep his wits about him. 

 

“We’ll talk about that outside,” Dean insisted. He pulled Castiel the way he had walked through the ruins, hoping they’d get out quickly.

 

...oOo...

 

The pair stopped a short distance from the ruins, sitting halfway up a nearby hill and watching the building collapse completely.

 

“Those traps? I’ve never seen anything like them,” Dean said.

 

“I’ve seen two or three in my life,” Castiel confirmed. “There are charms and enchantments that should help. I suggest you prepare yourself next time. “

 

“What would have happened if you didn’t free me?”

 

“It would have taken your soul and turned you into a demon,” Castiel said. “It’s difficult to make so there are few of them. Of course one would guard a tablet like this, making it only accessible to demons.”

 

“And is all of the darkness gone?” Dean asked.

 

Castiel observed him and Dean felt like the blue eyes were seeing into his very soul. They probably were as the Alpha was an Angel. “Nearly,” he finally replied. “Would you like me to remove the rest?”

 

Dean quickly nodded. “Of course. I…” he trailed off as the Alpha shifted closer, his lips gently covering Dean’s. Dean felt the urge to push him away but the scent of the Alpha and the feel of his lips were too much and Dean couldn’t bring himself to stop what was happening.

 

Lips eagerly moved against his and a tongue pressed against his mouth, tempting him to part his lips. Dean did without hesitation, his fingers moving up, trying to tangle into the messy hair.

 

And Castiel pulled away. “It’s all gone.”

 

Dean gaped at him, wondering how Castiel could just stop kissing him when the kiss had been so perfect. He wanted to grab the angel and pull him closer and lose himself in those lips once more.

 

“We should leave,” Castiel said, standing up and offering his hand to Dean. Dean allowed Cas to help him up, noticing that there was no pain this time. In fact, Cas’ touch soothed the burning sensation on his fingers. Cas’ touch just felt right. He bit his lip, glancing at the angel and found Castiel staring at him with an intense look in his eyes.

 

“Omega,” he murmured. “We’ll have to talk about our mating when we reach the castle.”

 

“Hey! Our mating? Hold on a moment, we—”

 

“Are true mates,” Castiel finished. “Therefore we will mate at some point I believe.” He looked up at the sky. “It’s getting late. We should start walking.”

 

“I have a room at the tavern nearby and a horse,” Dean blurted out. He recalled Ellen’s words about having to double up in a room and wondered why he even mentioned it. He couldn’t tell Castiel he had changed his mind that suddenly.

 

“The town will not be pleased with us when they find out what we did to the ruins,” Castiel noted, glancing back at them.

 

“They were already falling apart. We just saved it time,” Dean joked. He followed Castiel’s gaze to the pile of rubble. “Good thing we got out when we did.”

 

“I believe one night in the tavern will be enough for me to heal properly,” Castiel said. He started towards the town and Dean followed, only to rush forward and slip Castiel’s arm over his shoulders when Cas stumbled. 

 

“Thank you, Dean.”

 

“Don’t mention it,” Dean replied. They fell into step together and the journey was quiet for a while.

 

“Why did you take up this quest?” Castiel asked a while later, breaking the silence.

 

“For my brother,” Dean replied. “He was injured and I came to Bobby for help. Your brother was about to leave to find you but Sam needed his help so I took up the quest. I feel like I didn’t really do much though. I wasn’t a help. You killed everything on the way into the ruins, you saved me. You got the tablet.”

 

“You got us out safely,” Castiel replied. “I didn’t think I’d have made it out by myself. Without you, I’d have been moving a lot slower and my powers would be diminished.”

 

“You might have done,” Dean argued.

 

Castiel shook his head but didn’t argue back. 

 

“I am glad you came,” Castiel replied instead. “Your scent is most pleasing and makes the journey bearable.” His eyes moved over Dean’s body and Dean’s eyes widened.

 

“Yeah? Yours is… pretty good too.”

 

Castiel nodded as though he already knew that and Dean turned his attention back to the path they were walking down.

  
  


...oOo...

 

Dean found it distracting with Castiel walking so close. He could almost taste Cas’ Alpha scent. A couple of times he almost tripped over his own feet, so caught up in the Alpha next to him.

 

Ellen was just as amused at seeing Dean and Cas walking together. She smirked at the pair of them as Dean helped Cas lean against the wall before heading to the counter to get the room key. “Sweet dreams,” she called with a wide grin. “I gave you a room as far away from mine as possible. I like to be able to sleep.”

 

She laughed as Dean blushed and placed the key into his hand. “Goodnight, boys,” she said with a wink. Dean quickly thanked her and started towards the rooms, Castiel following him.

 

“Look, we can just take turns sleeping, or—”

 

“I don’t need to sleep. I will keep guard over the room,” Castiel said, interrupting Dean. “I am an Angel. We do not require sleep to function.”

 

“You’re missing out. The feel of a nice comfortable bed and warm covers. It’s refreshing,” Dean replied, his eyes staring longingly at the comfortable looking bed.

 

“I am refreshed already,” Cas insisted. “Comfort is not necessary.”

 

“Not necessary but it’s good to have,” Dean insisted. “If you’re worried that we’ll be attacked, we’ll be fine. I can’t imagine anything getting past Ellen. We can share the bed - just stay on your side, okay?”

 

Castiel nodded in agreement and Dean slipped off his shoes and climbed into the bed. Castiel did the same,

 

“Goodnight, Cas.”

 

“Goodnight, Dean.”

 

...oOo...

 

Dean opened his eyes to see two blue eyes staring back. “Hello, Dean.”

 

“Dammit, Cas, do I need to talk to you about personal space?” Dean muttered.

 

“Perhaps I need to discuss it with you,” Cas replied with a slight smile on his lips. “Though I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining because that’s the last thing I’m doing.”

 

“What do you…” Dean trailed off as he realised that he was cuddled up to Cas who had stayed on his own side of the bed during the night. Dean was almost laying on top of him and quickly tried to scramble off. Cas’ hands grabbed Dean, stilling him and his gaze moved over Dean’s face.

 

“Are you not happy that you’ve met your mate?” he asked.

 

“No. I mean, it’s not that… it’s just…”

 

“What, Dean? Because I am very happy. In Heaven, we rejoice when we meet our mates.”

 

“It’s because I’m not ready for this. When Omegas meet their mates, they stay at home. They don’t go out and do quests. I’m not ready to have kids and be stuck in a house all day.”

 

“No one is telling you that you have to do that,” Castiel said. “I’m not going to ask it of you, Dean. You are my Omega and—”

 

“I’m not. I’m no one’s Omega,” Dean snapped.

 

“We have a profound bond,” Castiel told him. “You are my Omega but I am your Alpha. I will protect you with my life. Even if you do not need me to.”

 

Dean stared at him. “Profound… bond?”

 

“We are mates,” Castiel repeated. “I am not entirely sure the human customs on handling mates. I am still learning.”

 

“How do Angels?” Dean asked.

 

“When an Angel finds his mate, he knots him or her immediately. Angels have been known to drop what they are doing in the streets and mate.” Castiel smirked. “I understand that human customs are different though and did not wish to mate with you whilst I had that darkness in my body. I know to address it when you are happy to do so. But I will not pretend like you are not my mate.”

 

Dean didn’t know how to address the exhibitionist Angels so decided to play it safe and turn the conversation to something else. “And how are you handling the darkness?”

 

“It’s almost gone.” Cas stared at him and Dean’s breath hitched at the intensity in his stare. He was aware of the firm hands clutching his sides and tried not to think about the things they could do if he just shifted a bit closer to Castiel, or straddled him.

 

“I understand that humans do things differently,” Castiel repeated. “I have been informed that humans enjoy… courting? It involves gifts.” Cas let go of Dean and the spell was broken between them. Dean moved to sit next to his mate as Castiel reached for his belongings and pulled out a knife. “Hopefully this will suffice as a courting gift.”

 

Dean picked up the knife almost gasping at the power radiating from it. It suddenly felt like a bad idea to have Cas in the room with his sexy smouldering eyes and his intense stare as though he was looking right inside Dean. There was a look in Cas’ eyes that told Dean that Cas wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and knot him right there and Dean knew he wouldn’t stop him if Cas asked.

 

Thankfully Cas did not. 

 

“Thank you,” Dean murmured, examining the knife. The handle was simple - strong and study with slight groves for his fingers, but the blade was detailed with an intricate pattern of Enochian words. Dean made a note to ask Cas what it said, but chose to store it away for now.

 

...oOo...

 

“I will escort you to the castle for a short time before I continue on with my goal to collect the tablets,” Castiel explained, getting on the horse behind Dean.

 

Dean turned to frown at him. “Wait, you’re leaving me… I mean… Gabriel was worried. What if you go missing again? What if you need help?”

 

“I believe that Gabriel will have finished healing your brother. Angels have very quick healing abilities. I am certain that Gabriel will insist on travelling with me when he finds out about the traps.”

 

Dean chose not to respond. Castiel was calling him mate one moment and then was eager to get away. Dean didn’t know what to make of it. 

 

The pair rode in silence for a while until Castiel decided to break it.

 

“Dean. I suspect that I have upset you in some way.”

 

“You think?” Dean muttered.

 

“Yes,” Castiel replied.

 

“You said we’re mates,” Dean blurted out. “Okay, yeah. I.. I feel that. I get that. But then you say you’re going to leave again. I don’t want to be a needy Omega or anything, but what the hell? You can’t just say all that stuff and leave.”

 

“I believed you were interested in staying with your brother and aiding him with his recovery. I don’t think you are needy and I intend to get back to you quickly. I must stress that I am unaware of how these things work for humans.  How long is this courting process because we will be back at the castle in a few hours and I planned to mate with you before I left.”

 

Dean would have laughed if he wasn’t so annoyed with Cas. He didn’t expect Cas to be right. “I do want him to be better, but I also want you to be safe.”

 

“You believe that leaving you behind will have me be reckless?” Castiel asked him. “You will be safe in the castle.”

 

“Safe? Because I’m an Omega?”

 

“If you were a Beta or an Alpha I would still feel the same about your safety,” Castiel assured him. “I want you safe because you are my mate. You are an excellent fighter, Dean. I have no doubt about all of the stories I’ve heard and Bobby himself has told me this. I have no doubts that you can look after yourself. In the Kingdom of Heaven, we do not treat Omegas as some humans do, but we do protect our mates no matter the cost.”

 

Dean felt better at Castiel’s words.

 

“In fact, Omegas are rare in Heaven,” Castiel continued. “It’s considered a gift to find one as a mate.”

 

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m human?”

 

“Does it… bother you that I am an angel?” Castiel retorted.

 

Dean watched Cas almost shyly. “You know, before I met you, I never planned to have a mate.”

 

“And now?” Cas asked. Dean could hear the hint of worry in his tone though Cas tried to hide it.

 

“Now I’m quite looking forward to it,” Dean admitted. “Maybe if Sam’s better, we’ll come with you and your brother?”

 

“I would like that very much,” Castiel murmured. “I would prefer to have you at my side at all times.”

 

“Maybe I’m not the needy one,” Dean replied..

 

“You will be once we get to the castle,” Castiel said with a smirk. With one last look over Dean’s body, he turned his attention back to the road.

 

...oOo...

 

“You watch Baby for me,” Dean insisted as he walked his Impala into the stables and handed the reins to Garth. “I think I’ll keep her.”

 

Garth grinned widely. “She’s a beaut,” he agreed. “I’ll make sure no one else rides her.”

 

“Thanks,” Dean replied, before leaving the stables. He walked over to where Cas was waiting. “So… how long before you plan to leave again?”

 

“We,” Cas corrected. “If you are coming with me, I understand that you will need rest first. I would suggest a couple of days will be sufficient.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds okay,” Dean replied with a nod. “Should we head inside of the castle?”

 

The pair began walking through the main town in the kingdom and Dean felt Alphas staring at him. He ignored them, used to the looks and the mocking comments about male Omegas that he was sure were going to start soon. After all, male Omegas were quite rare compared to female ones. Though they were mostly accepted, there were those that considered male Omegas freaks.

 

Silence fell over the people out for the evening and Dean glanced around, his gaze falling on Castiel. Castiel seemed to be staring each person out, unblinking and intense until they looked away and left Dean alone.

 

They reached the castle and had no trouble passing he guards. Dean didn’t stop to see Bobby, he went straight to Sam’s room, throwing open the door.

 

He quickly closed it again and turned to Castiel, his eyes wide. “Don’t go in there,” he warned.

 

Castiel walked past him and opened the door. “It appears that our brothers are mates. Gabriel has a mating mark.” He turned his gaze to Dean and Dean wondered how Castiel could even look at something like _that_ and not be embarrassed that he had seen it.

 

“I may have missed that,” Dean muttered. “I was too busy trying to get away from seeing my brother naked.”

 

“He appears to be healed,” Castiel continued. “Gabriel. I suggest you hurry up with the mating. We must talk.”

 

“I need a few hours,” Gabriel called from inside the room.

 

“Dean, if you’re out there, can you close the door?” Sam called. He sounded embarrassed and Dean was glad that he wasn’t the only one who found the scene incredibly awkward.

 

“Cas, close it!” Dean demanded. Castiel frowned as he did as he was told.

 

“Gabriel said—” Castiel began, turning his gaze onto Dean.

 

“I heard him. I just… I don’t want to see my brother naked, I don’t need details. I don’t… I don’t want to hear him talking to me when he’s… mating your brother.” Dean winced at the idea. This was a conversation that he didn’t want to have at all.

 

Castiel nodded slowly. “I understand,” he said after a moment. “Perhaps we should leave. I suspected that Sam’s knot had gone down and they were going to start again. Judging by the noises I heard when coming up the stairs, you may feel uncomfortable sticking around here.”

 

Dean paled. “I need a drink.” He grabbed Castiel’s hand and began to lead him away from the room in search of Bobby. “You could hear them on the stairs and you didn’t tell me? Next time you suspect there is sex happening, you tell me so I don’t have to go into that room. Ever.”

 

...oOo...

 

Bobby looked between the pair as Dean stormed into the throne room. “Idjits, both of you,” he muttered with a frown. “Had to turn up here and now my castle stinks of your brother and Gabriel. You better not stink out my castle too.”

 

Dean glared at him. “I found Cas,” he said instead.

 

“Really? I’d never have realised,” Bobby replied sarcastically, his eyes moving to Castiel for a moment before looking back at Dean. “I don’t think Sam even knows where he is. He woke up, took one look at Gabriel and I had to get outta that room faster than I’ve moved in years. I’m just glad they didn’t meet in the dining room or in here.”

 

Dean shuddered at the idea. “Well, you might be stuck with two mated pairs,” he replied. “Turns out Cas is my mate. I think that Sam might stick around because Gabriel is here and… I’ll probably stick around too.”

 

Bobby grinned widely. “Good news. I can almost forgive you for this smell…” he gestured between the pair and pulled a face.

 

“What do you know about the tablets?” Cas asked, tiring of the conversation and pulling the tablet out for everyone to see.

 

“Castiel retrieved one from the ruins. It locks the demons away in their own kingdom,” Dean explained.

 

“I will be heading out to find more with Gabriel and Dean.”

 

“And Sam,” Dean added.

 

Castiel nodded, his eyes on Bobby.

 

“Doesn’t surprise me. At least I know you’ll all be safe with each other. When are you going?”

 

“I will mate Dean before we leave,” Cas said. Dean groaned and Bobby smirked.

 

“I don’t want to hear about anything you get up to. Castiel, we talked about humans and about too much information,” Bobby said gruffly. “I’ll see you both when you want something to eat. Leave the tablet here. I’ll get Kevin started on examining it.”

 

Cas nodded his head. “Come, Dean.” He led the way from the room and Dean followed, very aware that Bobby knew what was possibly about to happen between him and Castiel. Between him and his mate.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean kept in mind Castiel’s assurances as Castiel insisted they sleep for a bit before anything happened between them since Dean only had three hours sleep the night before.

 

Dean agreed. Walking to the room before had left him too much time to think about things. Thinking made him doubt and worry. No, he preferred for the mating to just happen when he couldn’t obsess over it and scare himself.

 

It was easy to fall back asleep in Castiel’s arms. It was even easier to wake up and surrender himself to Castiel who he suspected had been watching him from the moment he closed his eyes.

 

Later, as they were tied together and his throat throbbed, Dean realised how at ease and happy he finally felt. Granted that he didn’t know Castiel that well or for very long at all, but it just felt right and safe and perfect being around him. Dean knew he’d be happy with Castiel and he had his whole life to get to know the Alpha.

 

...oOo...

 

Dean sheathed the dagger Cas gave him as a courting gift, handing his old one over to Sam. He avoided letting his gaze fall to his brother’s neck. He didn’t want to see the mating mark or consider what Sam did to get Gabriel to sink his teeth into Sam when it was usually just the Alpha that bit down.

 

Well, Castiel had insisted that Dean mark him too and Dean found himself wondering if it was an Angel custom. He grinned to himself as his fingers reached up to touch the juncture between his shoulder and neck where he could still feel Cas’ bite on the area.

 

It would sting for a good while yet, but Dean didn’t care at all. He had a mark and that’s what mattered to him about the whole situation.

 

“Are you both ready to set off?” Castiel asked, walking over to Dean and Sam, his eyes moving between the pair. “Is there anything you require before we leave?”

 

Dean toyed with the idea of replying that he needed to be knotted, wanting to get back at Sammy for knotting Gabe without even considering locking the door.

 

He smirked at a confused Castiel. “I’ll tell you later,” he murmured.

 

“I need to know now,” Castiel pushed. “When we leave, we will be unable to return for what you’ve forgotten.”

 

Sam just shook his head and walked away, leaving Dean and Cas alone.

 

“Are you recovering sufficiently after yesterday?” Castiel asked, slipping into a more caring person quickly. “Did I hurt you too much? I can heal—”

 

“You didn’t hurt me,” Dean confirmed. “And as for healing me… I don’t want that. Healing me will remove the scar. I want to keep the mark so people will know about us.”

 

“I would like for people to be aware of this relationship,” Castiel agreed. “I do not like other Alphas looking at you the way they do.”

 

Dean chuckled. “Don’t you see how the Omegas look at you?”

 

“I see how you look at me,” Castiel replied. “I do not need to observe any other Omegas to see their reaction to me.”

 

“Well they want you and who can blame them? Make sure they know you’re taken.”

 

“Of course, Dean,” Castiel replied. “Let’s go. The sooner we make camp, the sooner I can get those clothes off you.”

 

“I heard that,” Sam called back, not sounding pleased at all. “Please don’t get a room next to us.”

 

Gabriel chuckled. “I’m sure we can drown their noises out.”

 

Dean clapped his hands over his ears. “How about none of us talk about our sex lives on the journey?”

 

“I agree to that,” Sam quickly replied.

 

Gabriel and Castiel smirked at each other and said nothing and Dean was scared to even ask what was going through their minds. Instead he moved closer to Sam.

 

“Do you want to stay in Singer?” he asked. “Not today. I mean getting a house there or staying in the castle or something?”

 

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Sam admitted with a smile. “I can’t imagine leaving now.”

 

“Bobby will be thrilled,” Dean said. He turned to look at the two Angels. “I’m quite thrilled myself actually.”

 

“Me too,” Sam murmured.


End file.
